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MaddowBlog-On pardons for Jan. 6 rioters, Trump wasn't waiting for a 'green light'
The idea that Trump has been emboldened by the Hunter Biden pardon, opening the door to the Republican handing pardons to Jan. 6 rioters, is preposterous.
https://bsky.app/profile/stevebenen.com/post/3lcitxuuiik2h
The idea that Trump has been emboldened by the Hunter Biden pardon, giving him a green light to issue pardons to Jan. 6 rioters, is preposterous.
Trump has been promising Jan. 6 pardons since 2022! .
Trump has been promising Jan. 6 pardons since 2022! .
Link to tweet
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/pardons-jan-6-rioters-trump-wasnt-waiting-green-light-rcna182806
But while much of the pushback is understandable, there’s a related dimension to the story that’s impossible to take seriously. Politico reported:
......So, a couple of things.
First, the idea that Trump has somehow been emboldened by the Hunter Biden pardon, opening the door to the Republican handing “get out of jail free” cards to Jan. 6 rioters, is preposterous. The president-elect wasn’t waiting for “green light”; he drove through the intersection months ago.
In 2022 — more than two years ago, before Hunter Biden was even indicted and before Trump had launched his 2024 candidacy — he repeatedly talked up the idea of issuing presidential pardons to those who faced legal consequences for attacking the U.S. Capitol.
In 2024, this talk became more frequent and more explicit. Eleven months ago at a campaign event in New Hampshire, Trump heard from a supporter who urged him to “free” Jan. 6 criminals. “We will,” he replied.
In March, he issued a statement vowing in writing that one of his first acts, if returned to the White House, would be to “free” those charged and convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 assault.
Less than a week later, Trump added additional clarity to his plan: Jan. 6 rioters could expect pardons on “the first day” of his second term.
When Trump sat down with Time magazine’s Eric Cortellessa in April, the reporter reminded him that more than 800 Jan. 6 participants have been sentenced through our judicial system, and most of them pleaded guilty. Others were convicted by juries. “Will you consider pardoning every one of them?” Cortellessa asked.
“I would consider that, yes,” Trump replied......
The president-elect wasn’t waiting for an excuse or a “green light.” The Biden pardon came months — by some measures, years — after Trump had left little doubt about his plan to help those who attacked the country’s seat of government in his name.
But just as importantly, the phrase “false equivalence” hangs over the conversation. Some on the right are effectively saying, “If Biden can pardon his son, then Trump can pardon Jan. 6 rioters.”
In reality, however, the former and latter have nothing to do with one another. There’s ample reason to believe that Hunter Biden was subjected to selective prosecution because of his relationship to the president. Jan. 6 rioters, on the other hand, engaged in a violent — and ultimately deadly — assault on their own country’s Capitol in the hope of helping give illegitimate power to a failed president who’d just been voted out of office.
To draw a parallel between the two is to strip reality of its meaning.
Almost immediately after the Hunter Biden pardon was announced, Trump hinted that he may cite it as justification for granting broad clemency to Jan. 6 defendants. ‘Does the pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages?’ he asked on social media, describing the [Jan. 6] rioters in terms rooted in his efforts to downplay the violence they wrought against police that day.
......So, a couple of things.
First, the idea that Trump has somehow been emboldened by the Hunter Biden pardon, opening the door to the Republican handing “get out of jail free” cards to Jan. 6 rioters, is preposterous. The president-elect wasn’t waiting for “green light”; he drove through the intersection months ago.
In 2022 — more than two years ago, before Hunter Biden was even indicted and before Trump had launched his 2024 candidacy — he repeatedly talked up the idea of issuing presidential pardons to those who faced legal consequences for attacking the U.S. Capitol.
In 2024, this talk became more frequent and more explicit. Eleven months ago at a campaign event in New Hampshire, Trump heard from a supporter who urged him to “free” Jan. 6 criminals. “We will,” he replied.
In March, he issued a statement vowing in writing that one of his first acts, if returned to the White House, would be to “free” those charged and convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 assault.
Less than a week later, Trump added additional clarity to his plan: Jan. 6 rioters could expect pardons on “the first day” of his second term.
When Trump sat down with Time magazine’s Eric Cortellessa in April, the reporter reminded him that more than 800 Jan. 6 participants have been sentenced through our judicial system, and most of them pleaded guilty. Others were convicted by juries. “Will you consider pardoning every one of them?” Cortellessa asked.
“I would consider that, yes,” Trump replied......
The president-elect wasn’t waiting for an excuse or a “green light.” The Biden pardon came months — by some measures, years — after Trump had left little doubt about his plan to help those who attacked the country’s seat of government in his name.
But just as importantly, the phrase “false equivalence” hangs over the conversation. Some on the right are effectively saying, “If Biden can pardon his son, then Trump can pardon Jan. 6 rioters.”
In reality, however, the former and latter have nothing to do with one another. There’s ample reason to believe that Hunter Biden was subjected to selective prosecution because of his relationship to the president. Jan. 6 rioters, on the other hand, engaged in a violent — and ultimately deadly — assault on their own country’s Capitol in the hope of helping give illegitimate power to a failed president who’d just been voted out of office.
To draw a parallel between the two is to strip reality of its meaning.